Foot-measure



T. B. BLAKE.

FOOT MEASURE.

APPLICATION FlLED MAY 28. 1918.

' 1,891,714. at t S pt. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

firoRNEY T. B. BLAKE.

FOOT MEASURE.

APPLICATIUN FILED MAY 28. 1918.

1,391,714. PatentedSepfi- 27,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY provide a device of this character which is UNITED STATES; 1 A

TENT QFFICE- 7 THOMAS BBLAKE, or nnmoroms nnnsnim, ASSIGNOROF I I 7 valves, or nn vroroms, ALABAMA. V

ONE-HALF ago J. is

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To all whom it may 'concernrm 1 Be it known that I; THoMAs'B- BLAKE a citizen'of the United States, and-a resident of, -Demopolis, Marengo county, Alabamzu? have invented new andusefulalmprove:

lowing is-a specification.

This invention relates to. foot measuring appliances adapted for use by shoe-salesmen. to determine the proper'sizeshoe for-the customer. c.

The principal object ofthe-invention is to provide a device of this character which will indicate at a single operation"both the: length and the'width-of the shoe required; and which also may be used withoutchange of any of its parts for either the right or, left foot. i i V .A further object of the'invention is -to' ments in F Oct-Measures, of which the folof simple construction, -.low manufacturing cost and of suchxsimpleoperation as ton-give" accurate results even in the-"hands of a nov- ICB, ;y r I: A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which embodies but a single adjustable. gage memberfor indicating both -the*lengthi and the width, and in whichrthe gage member is" so designed as to be "capable of anwaccurate; micrometer adjustment through a rotative part through which the degree'of pressure applied to the footrmay be-ldetermined. Meansare also provided-to retain the gage member in its adjusted position unless-the pressure against the 'footis excessive. 1 A further object of the invention is to provide a devicezof this character. which; may be readilyzcombined with the'ordina-rys shoe-salesmans seat as an adjunct to the foot rest against which the shoes are fitted, and without interference with theuse of the foot rest for that purpose; a a In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my inventionf as a detached article and also ina'form to be used in conjunction with a foot rest.

In said drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the foot measuring device for separateuse;

Fig.- 2 is a longitudinal section on line: 2-2of-Fig1; J, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3- 3 measurii'ig device face of the board adj .sheet metal portion 17 parts of the carriage l mounted for rotation is formed .7 with a 1 upper face of the stem 9 V v Specification Letters latent. Patentedsept 2'7, 1921 Applicationffile'd May 23, 1am Serial No. 23 7,o38.*

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of an ordinary shoe salesmans seat showing my foot measuring device in position thereon; v

1g. 5 is a longitudinalsectional view si'mllar to the corresponding portion of Fig.

a 4 and showing the foo't'measuring device adluste d to permit the usual use of a foot rest for ntti'ng the shoes;

Fig. 6 is'a plan view of the foot rest por tion of the seat shown in Fig. 4 with the positioned for measuring ther'l'ght foot; and i =F1g. 7-isa similar view with the device positioned for measuring the left foot.

Referring to thedrawings, particularly to Fig. 1, 1 indicates the baseofthe' device, hereshown as'a board having'a raised flange 2 around three of its edges' Attachedto the acent the remaining edge is a pair of parallel tracks? spaced somewhat above the face of the base by the supporting bracketst at eachend.

Mounted'to slide ontherods' 3 is a carriage 5 comprising a lower sheet metal por tion'ha-ving each end bentaround the rods as indicated at 6 in Fig. '3,- andan upper havingedge flanges at-right' angles to the rods'to form a guide-- way for the gage-member 8 to permit the transverse adjustmentof the gage member toward and away from the rods and toward and away fronr the long edge fiangef of the base boards The underside of the upper part 7 fits flat on the'lower part and the two are rigidly connected by brazing or rivetsor in; any suitable manner; or the two parts may be made in one integral piece. v he gage member comprises a stem 9 working in a guideway formed by the upper r side the

piece of the carriage, the, edges of the flanges of the guide being bent over a edges of the stemto retain the gage member a knob 12 the gear teeth projecting into the slot and meshing with rack teeth 13 formed along'one edge of the slot. The knob 12 is on a fixed pin or spindie 14 set in' the center of the carriage 5 and flange, above the gear teeth as indicated at'15',

on each side of the which rests on the slot and is held pressed againstthe stem by a spiral spring 16 retained in a recess in the knob beneath the head-of'the pin 14.

The inner end of the gage piece is bentv the use of thedevice is adjusted against the ball ofthe foot as indicated more particularly in Fig. 1. 1

The scale 18 is a double scale, one for the left foot andone for theright, and one cooperating with one point of the bar 17 and one with the other. Each scale comprises a series of spaced lines extending in a general longitudinal direction but at an angle to the long edge of the base board, the lines being most distantifrom the flange at the long edge of the base board at the ends of the board and inclining in the direction of the flange from the end to the middle, where they join the corresponding lines of the other scale. 1

These lines indicate the width of the shoe required and are marked with appro-;

priate width designations such as A, B, G, D, etc. The scales also comprise lines for indicating the length ofthe shoe required, these lines being parallel with the ends of the board and being spaced apart the proper distance to indicate the different shoe sizes. The lines indicating the est sizes are at the center. As shown in the drawing, the sizes are shown by the ordinary numbers 3, 4, 5, etc., but of course, arbitrary designations may be used for indicating the lines for both the width and the length.

In using the gage the board is placed upon the floor and the customer stands with the foot to be fitted in'the corner of the board with the outside of the foot pressed against the long side flange of the base board and the heelagainst the end flange in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The carriage 5 is then adjusted along the rods to a position opposite the ball of the foot and the knob 12 is then turned to adjust the gage piece 17 inward until the curved foot engaging piece19 fits against the side of the joint in the manner indicated.

The pointed end of the gage piece 17 in advance of the toe will then overlie one of the squares formed by theintersecting scale lines and the most nearly adjacent scale lines would indicate the proper size and small-- The ear and rack connection between the kno and the gage piece permit a nice regulation to. be secured in the pressure of the gage piece against the foot, so that the piece may be adjusted to indicate the proper width for a snu or loose fit as desired by the customer. lifter a little practice the shoe salesman can easily tell by the resist,- ance to rotation of the knob, the degree of pressure he is applying to the foot. The

spring 16 between the knob presses the.

flange piece at the base of the knob against the stem of the gage piece with suflicient friction to hold the gage piece in its'ad justed position unlessthe pressure against the foot is considerably greater than desir able in any case. r

The knob 12 not only servesto adjust the piece 17 toward and away from the foot by its rotative movement, but also serves as a convenient means for shifting thecarriage 5 longitudinally of the rods so that any adjustment for measuring. both the length and width may be made by taking hold of the knob and adjusting it with relation to the foot in the manner experience indicates to .be proper.

In measuring the other foot the board will be turned around so that the customer has to stand with the footin the opposite corner ofthe board, that is, the upper left hand corner of the board, as shown in Fig. 1, in

which position thepoint at the right endof the piece 17 will indicate the proper size shoe. i j

I preferably also print on the face of. the board a short scale 20, along the long side vflange of the board for the purpose of indicating the proper length of childrens shoes, which are shorter than half the length of the board. This-scale is not used in conjunction with the gage. When the child.

stands with his foot in the corner of the board the salesman can see at a glance which size shoe will be sufiiciently longer than the foot for correct fitting.

In Figs. 4., 5, (land 7 I have indicated my improved foot measuring device as designed to be used in conjunction with the ordinary salesmans seat. As here shown, 25 indicates the ordinary shoe salesmans bench having the horizontal seat 26 for the salesman and an end portion 27 inclined downward as indicated, upon which the customer places his foot for. fitting. These benches are of ordinary construction, with the part 27 of a solid board covered with a rubber mat against which the customer may press his foot without marring the shoe. To utilize my foot measuring device the part 27 consists of an open box into which the base board 28 of the foot measuring device is fitted after the manner of a box lid, the under face of the base board being cut out around its edges to fit in the box and be supported on the shallow side flanges 29. I

The footmeasuring device will preferably be of the same construction as above described, except that the base board may be provided with flanges on the fourth side also, as indicated at 30 in Figs. 6 and 7, the flanges 30 being cut adjacent the end of the shank 9 on the gage piece as indicated at 31 so as to permit the full amplitude of adjustment of the gage piece.

The four side flanges of the base board are positioned to fit within the box when the board is inverted, as indicated in Fig. 5,-so that the under face of the board will be employed for the usual purpose of fitting the shoes, to which end its surface will preferably be covered with a rubber pad as indicated at 32, the box 27 being to receive the projecting parts of the foot measuring device and allow the base board to fit snugly in the box with its exteiision edge resting against theedges of the sides of the box. I c

In operation the base board will be first set in position with the foot measuring device on the upper side, and with the continuous side flange at the right or the left, according to the foot it is desired to measure. After the proper size is determined for that foot, for instance the right foot, as shown in Fig; 6, the board is turned around as shown in Fig. 7 and the other foot measured, after which the base board is inverted and replaced in the box to allow the rubber surface 32 to be usedin fitting the shoes.

The specification and drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention as it has been found most useful in actual practice, but it is to be undestood, however, that the details of construction disclosed maybe varied inmany particulars without departing from the spirit. of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims:

1. In a foot measure, the combination ofa base board or plate, separate scales marked thereon for the right foot and the left foot comprising indications for length and width, means for locating the foot to be measured with relation to its scale and a single indicating member adjustable with relation to the foot to be measured adapted to cooperate with both scales and to indicate the size and width of the foot being measured.

deep enough and the right foot, respectively, and a single indicating member adjustable with relation to the foot to be measured when said foot is placed against its abutment and adapted to indicate on said scale the length and width of shoe for either foot.

3. In a foot measure, the combination of a baseboard, or plate, abutments thereon for the left and right foot, respectively, at the opposite ends of said board, said board having scales for the separate feet and a single indicating member having two points, one for each scale, means for adjusting said indicating member toward and from said abutments, and means for yieldingly holding said indicating member in its adjusted position.

4:. In a foot measure, the combination of a board having abutments at each end and allel with the end abutments foot and for the right foot, respectively, when the foot is placed against one of the end abutments, other scale lines extending diagonally from the end abutments toward the middle and inclined toward the side abutment for indicating the width of shoe, and means carried by said board and adjustable with regard to said abutments for designating the scale marks for the foot being measured.

5. In a foot measure the combination of a board having abutments at each end and at one side, said board having scale lines parallel with the end abutments for indicating the shoe lengths for the left foot and for the right foot, respectively, when the foot is placed against one of the end abutments, and other scale lines extending diagonally from the end abutments toward the middle and inclined toward the side abutment for indicating the width of shoe, an indicating member carried by said board adjustable both longitudinally and transversely thereof for indicating the proper scale marks for the foot being measured.

Signed at Demopolis, in the county of Marengo and State of Ala, this 1st day of May, 1918.

, THOS. B. BLAKE.

at one side, said board having scale lines par- 

